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You should generally drill into the mortar joints when installing shutters on brick. Mortar is softer, which makes drilling easier and puts less strain on your tools. It also lowers the risk of cracking a brick—something that’s a lot harder to fix. Mortar holds fasteners well enough for standard shutters, and if you ever need to patch the holes later, it’s a much simpler job than dealing with damaged brick. Just keep in mind that if your mortar joints are too thin or the hardware calls for brick anchoring, you'll need to check the manufacturer’s recommendations and adjust accordingly.

Granite is the strongest commercially available stone houses are built from. It’s also more commonly available, which means transport costs aren’t as high because a granite quarry isn’t too far from a build site. Limestone and sandstone are popular materials as well, but they aren’t as strong or weather-resistant as granite.

Typically, a brick mason will repair a brick mailbox. They can provide an estimate for repairs, which may include sourcing replacement brick, mortar, and other materials. If your brick mailbox has been completely destroyed, you should check with your local building code enforcement office to confirm that a brick mailbox is allowed in your location as some areas do not allow brick mailboxes because of the potential hazard for drivers who may hit them.

Yes, it’s a good idea to use paint primer on your brick fireplace before painting it. Brick is highly absorbent, so your first few coats of paint will likely seep into the surface of your fireplace, allowing the natural color of the brick to seep through. To avoid this, you’ll want to use one or two coats of primer, followed by the topcoat.